No oxygen dry hopping

[Bohern]

So after struggling with the Norcal yeast brink I've decided to try Mongoose's dry hopper. Only I supersized it. The components from top to bottom are:
3" TC with 2 ball lock posts and PRV
3" TC sight glass that came with my Norcal yeast brink
3" TC butterfly valve
4" x 3" TC Concentric Reducer

View attachment 722491

edited to reduce file size

I got me one of these too, I have yet to use it but I have a brew in mind where this puppy is gonna come in handy.

 

[eric19312]

So a bit anticlimactic. Works like a charm. I added a bit of tubing to the gas ball lock dip tube (on the dry hopper lid) and then added 10oz regular pellet hops. I then put my spunding valve on the liquid ball lock connector and hooked up gas to the gas ball lock connector on the dry hopper lid and purged the dry hopper with 3 psi CO2 for a minute. I then moved the gas from the dry hopper ball lock gas post to the one on the Spike pressure manifold and just cracked open the dry hopper butterfly valve. That is what you see at start of this video.

Only issue is this type of butterfly valve is not best for one handed operation. It was considerably cheaper than the trigger pinch style and works fine with two free hands. Maybe next time will get someone else to hold the camera.

 

[beervoid]

So a bit anticlimactic. Works like a charm. I added a bit of tubing to the gas ball lock dip tube (on the dry hopper lid) and then added 10oz regular pellet hops. I then put my spunding valve on the liquid ball lock connector and hooked up gas to the gas ball lock connector on the dry hopper lid and purged the dry hopper with 3 psi CO2 for a minute. I then moved the gas from the dry hopper ball lock gas post to the one on the Spike pressure manifold and just cracked open the dry hopper butterfly valve. That is what you see at start of this video.

Only issue is this type of butterfly valve is not best for one handed operation. It was considerably cheaper than the trigger pinch style and works fine with two free hands. Maybe next time will get someone else to hold the camera.

That's a 3" Sight glass? And it holds 10oz? Which I put at about 75% of the total space? Maxed out at 15oz?
I'm confused, why use the reducer?

 

[eric19312]

That's a 3" Sight glass? And it holds 10oz? Which I put at about 75% of the total space? Maxed out at 15oz?
I'm confused, why use the reducer?

The reducer gets it onto the 4" TC on the Spike CF. 15oz would fit. Maybe a full pound. This recipe was 20oz divided into two additions.

 

[depper]

So a bit anticlimactic. Works like a charm. I added a bit of tubing to the gas ball lock dip tube (on the dry hopper lid) and then added 10oz regular pellet hops. I then put my spunding valve on the liquid ball lock connector and hooked up gas to the gas ball lock connector on the dry hopper lid and purged the dry hopper with 3 psi CO2 for a minute. I then moved the gas from the dry hopper ball lock gas post to the one on the Spike pressure manifold and just cracked open the dry hopper butterfly valve. That is what you see at start of this video.

Only issue is this type of butterfly valve is not best for one handed operation. It was considerably cheaper than the trigger pinch style and works fine with two free hands. Maybe next time will get someone else to hold the camera.

Have you ever tried to drop in flavoring, like a tincture, using this method? I have this set-up for dry hopping, but was wondering if I could also use it for dropping in some flavor. I'm just worried about purging the sight glass with liquid in it as I feel it would make a huge mess and potentially get into the gas manifold. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!

Tim

 

[eric19312]

Have you ever tried to drop in flavoring, like a tincture, using this method? I have this set-up for dry hopping, but was wondering if I could also use it for dropping in some flavor. I'm just worried about purging the sight glass with liquid in it as I feel it would make a huge mess and potentially get into the gas manifold. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!

Tim

No. I've not done a tincture in a long time.

I guess for a tincture I'd try to the sight glass in yeast brink mode. Especially something with chunks in it like a spice tincture. Seems the brink is reported to work just fine for that. The problem with using the yeast brink to inject dry hops is the dry hop pellet sludge gets very thick and just won't push. I'd reinstall the legs to use the brink under the fermentor.

On other hand for injecting gelatin or other fermentor clarifying agent where I'd think I would want it to start at the top of the conical, or for adding a tincture to a beer I also wanted to dry hop with this configuration, I'd probably use the gas post on the pressure manifold to add the liquid. A grey ball lock connector to open it up and a syringe to inject would do a pretty good job and minimize oxygen. I could even hook up the gas to the dry hopper to push about 2 PSI CO2 into the headspace while doing so so that when I pull the syringe away from the ball lock connector positive CO2 pressure would minimize oxygen getting in.

 

[depper]

No. I've not done a tincture in a long time.

I guess for a tincture I'd try to the sight glass in yeast brink mode. Especially something with chunks in it like a spice tincture. Seems the brink is reported to work just fine for that. The problem with using the yeast brink to inject dry hops is the dry hop pellet sludge gets very thick and just won't push. I'd reinstall the legs to use the brink under the fermentor.

On other hand for injecting gelatin or other fermentor clarifying agent where I'd think I would want it to start at the top of the conical, or for adding a tincture to a beer I also wanted to dry hop with this configuration, I'd probably use the gas post on the pressure manifold to add the liquid. A grey ball lock connector to open it up and a syringe to inject would do a pretty good job and minimize oxygen. I could even hook up the gas to the dry hopper to push about 2 PSI CO2 into the headspace while doing so so that when I pull the syringe away from the ball lock connector positive CO2 pressure would minimize oxygen getting in.

Thanks for your thoughts. I like to use tinctures to add flavoring to my beers, but have only done this using a bottling bucket, which introduced O2 at will. I think I just might add it using the dry hopper attachment like mongoose and see what happens. The only issue I can see is when I'm bleeding O2 from the sight glass that the liquid will go everywhere inside and possible get up into the gas manifold.

Thanks again!

 

[DuncB]

I suppose another option would be to add the flavourings after ferment with a Randall then you can experiment with tiny batches to taste.
But you won't get the ferment effect of course on your adjunct.

 

[beervoid]

The reducer gets it onto the 4" TC on the Spike CF. 15oz would fit. Maybe a full pound. This recipe was 20oz divided into two additions.

Ok thanks for elaborating. Why not use a 4" sight glass for more space?

 

[eric19312]

Ok thanks for elaborating. Why not use a 4" sight glass for more space?

I had the 3" from the yeast brink I was trying. Plus cost of the butterfly valve and the top piece with gas post.

 

[gonefishin2]

I really appreciate looking at the picture in the 1st post, and then these incredible devices. Right on HBT. Cheers!

 

[SEndorf]

@mongoose33
I'm giving up on the yeast brink to push hops up and am putting together your system. I have a 2" sight glass and the hardware. All I need is one more 2" to 1.5" reducer.
Rather than a traditional end cap reducer
Do you think a bowl reducer might make the hops slide down easier?

 

[mongoose33]

@mongoose33
I'm giving up on the yeast brink to push hops up and am putting together your system. I have a 2" sight glass and the hardware. All I need is one more 2" to 1.5" reducer.
Rather than a traditional end cap reducer
Do you think a bowl reducer might make the hops slide down easier?

I'm thinking the end cap reducer would be better; by forcing a larger volume through a smaller-diameter hole, I'd think you'd have more chance of the hops jamming.

 

[SEndorf]

I'm thinking the end cap reducer would be better; by forcing a larger volume through a smaller-diameter hole, I'd think you'd have more chance of the hops jamming.

Thanks. I haven't physically seen the bowl reducer. Perhaps it's smaller diameter. I need to reduce the 2" sight glass to the 1.5" lid port. The end cap reducer 'appears' to create a small shelf where the hops might get hung up. Guess the bowl idea wouldn't solve the problem. OTOH, maybe it isn't a problem at all.

 

[mongoose33]

Thanks. I haven't physically seen the bowl reducer. Perhaps it's smaller diameter. I need to reduce the 2" sight glass to the 1.5" lid port. The end cap reducer 'appears' to create a small shelf where the hops might get hung up. Guess the bowl idea wouldn't solve the problem. OTOH, maybe it isn't a problem at all.

Spike is coming out with a 3-port lid, which is better than the one I have, but still not optimal. I wish they'd included a 2" or 3" port along with the two 1.5" ports. It's easier to dump hops through a larger port, plus greater capacity to begin with.

One problem I had with mine was when I had the fermenter in the garage in the winter. Since the garage temps were in the 45-50 degree range, and the fermenting wort was around 67 degrees, I'd get condensation in the sight glass. That made the hops sticker. A larger sight glass opening would mitigate that. And in the summer, I don't have that issue.

I can't wait for Spike to get the new lids in. Maybe I should call them to do a retrofit. I asked them once to add a second port to my current lid, but they said it would compromise the strength of the lid from an engineering point of view. And now they're adding two. Guess it wasn't as big a deal as they thought.

 

[SEndorf]

Spike is coming out with a 3-port lid, which is better than the one I have, but still not optimal. I wish they'd included a 2" or 3" port along with the two 1.5" ports. It's easier to dump hops through a larger port, plus greater capacity to begin with.

One problem I had with mine was when I had the fermenter in the garage in the winter. Since the garage temps were in the 45-50 degree range, and the fermenting wort was around 67 degrees, I'd get condensation in the sight glass. That made the hops sticker. A larger sight glass opening would mitigate that. And in the summer, I don't have that issue.

I can't wait for Spike to get the new lids in. Maybe I should call them to do a retrofit. I asked them once to add a second port to my current lid, but they said it would compromise the strength of the lid from an engineering point of view. And now they're adding two. Guess it wasn't as big a deal as they thought.

I like Spike and their products, but am not surprised at their previous, then current, response. Like most companies, a particular course of action is inadvisable until there is money to be made with enough volume to make that course of action advisable.
Personally, I'm tackling these problems one at a time. The Norcal brink has been excellent at harvesting yeast, but created several epic messes trying to dry hop. Granted, I used the mason jar version and not the sight glass version which might have helped. There is simply not enough threading on the mason jar rings (due to the silicone gasket) to make a solid seal. The jars would pop off even at 2-3 psi. Then there is the constant swapping of the purge connect / CO2 connect from several cycles of filling the jar, then trying to push the hops.
In hind sight, (my plan now) I should use the brink only for harvesting yeast, and configure your design for dry hopping.
There were several previous posts here, debating the oxygen purge of the sight glass. I believe your recommendation was to slightly crack the butterfly valve to allow natural CO2.
Most of my IPA's require at least 4 oz. dry hops for a 10G. batch. I was planning on two "drops" of 2 oz. each. purging the sight glass with food grade CO2 between drops.
At some point I'll look into a different lid, but for now (compared to previous headaches) I can't wait to try out your design. Much easier.

 

[Lacasse93]

I don’t know if this would work but for those of us still using a bucket (or potentially carboy if you could find a way) could you cut a hole in a bucket lid and attach a dry food dispenser? I’ll attach a Home Depot link below but it looks cheap. Maybe even change the top to hand pump oxygen out of it? Let me know any thoughts for myself and my fellow cheap home brewers

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Honey-C...9-Ndc0_yvCaoNTn3kWxoCwKAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[wsmith1625]

I had a lot of fun reading this thread yesterday and love all the creative contributions. I keg my beer and recently switched to @Dgallo closed transfer method using my #7 Fermonster. I love the setup and it's been great except for dry hopping. Having to remove the lid and introduce oxygen is counterproductive especially considering the efforts to limit the exposure via this transfer method.

My current dry hop method I fill my sanitized Wilser hop sock with marbles and the hop pellets and tie it off at the top. Then I open the Fermonster lid, squeeze the bag tightly to remove as much air as possible, and drop it into the beer. Then I seal up the Fermonster and wait until packaging day.

After I keg my beer, I retrieve the hop sock from the Fermonster and it's filled with soaking wet hops and green hoppy liquid that didn't make it into my keg. Squeezing the hop sock kills me to see all that hoppy liquid being wasted.

Most likely I'll take a simple approach to suspending the hops in a bag inside the fermenter and will lower it when fermentation is complete as many have already discussed in great detail. I'm also going to be pulling the hop bag out of the beer and letting it drain prior to packaging day to get the most hoppy liquid into my beer. I guess I can do that with both the magnet and the string methods. I'll probably do some testing this weekend and see what works best.

 

[ihavenonickname]

I bet you would like the magnet method - get two of those silicone sous vid magnets and you’re set, never have to open the fermonster

 

[RyPA]

I recently did the magnet approach on a Torpedo keg, the only issue I had is muslin bag being too baggy. I'm going to try nut milk bags the next time around. The beer came out awesome, and looked like OJ up until the last glass

 

[DuncB]

I recently did the magnet approach on a Torpedo keg, the only issue I had is muslin bag being too baggy. I'm going to try nut milk bags the next time around. The beer came out awesome, and looked like OJ up until the last glass

I reduced the baggy problem by stiching a pocket in the bag for the magnet. Have the magnet on the far side of the bag in the middle when the hops are in the bag. This allows you to have "2 smaller bags" dangling off the middle which halves the dangle / bagginess.

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Any issues with bags clogging conical dump ports? I rack through the dp on my CF10, rather than the racking port, as I hate to lose that beer that lives between the two.
Cheers!